The Collision of Your Kiss
by Slelnea
Summary: Axel has his sights set on someone new--but is Roxas interested, or even willing? AxelxRoxas.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **_Once again, this fic was cowritten with scatterxthexashes. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing this. Note, this will be a series, not a oneshot.__  
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_**Disclaimer:** We do not own any part of the Kingdom Hearts series. Not the characters, worlds, anything! (sadly...)_

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"So, how did you come to be a part of the Organization?" Axel looked over at Roxas, sucking on the remaining ice cream on the stick before it dripped onto his cloak.

"Xemnas had found me. He didn't really give me much of a choice in the matter. Just kind of forced me to go back with him," Roxas shrugged. Most of his ice cream was left untouched. He wasn't very hungry.

"Heh, that certainly sounds like Xemnas... As bossy and overbearing as always," he chuckled, flipping back his long red locks.

Roxas nodded at nothing in particular. "I was also curious." He paused until Axel was looking at him again, instead of down at the buildings of the town. "About why I wield the keyblade."

Axel's interest was immediately caught, though he didn't show it. "Keyblade, huh?" Axel looked at Roxas, chewing on the stick now.

Roxas nodded again, at Axel this time. "Yeah."

The two watched in a pleasant silence as the sun slowly set, unable to think of any other topics to discuss. Axel was determined to get to know Roxas better though; if there was anyone in the Organization who he'd thought would make a worthwhile companion, it was this kid. There was just something about him.

"So, Axel." Roxas finally took another bite of his ice cream. He still wasn't really all that hungry, but Axel had got it for him; he didn't want to be rude by barely touching it.

"Hm?" Axel was staring off into space again, thinking. _We barely talk but he's already better for conversation than Demyx_, he thought.

"How long have you been with the Organization?" Roxas's eyebrows went up to show his curiosity.

"You know..." Axel stood up, pacing the tight pathway of the tower. "I don't even remember anymore."

"Wow," Roxas commented, staring up at the elder. "A while then, I'm guessing."

Axel chuckled quietly. "Yeah. A long while."

The sun had nearly descended, leaving the two with only a small source of light. The wind was picking up and it was nearing the time to get back to the castle. Axel always hated when the time came to go back, but it inevitably had approached.

Roxas chose to continue on with their discussion, even with knowing that they probably should have already left. "So, why have you stayed so long?"

Axel took a moment before shrugging. "...I guess I really have nowhere else to go."

"So I guess we have something in common, then," Roxas smiled, looking up at Axel.

"Heh, yeah." Axel smiled back, though his expression soon turned neutral as he beckoned a portal. "Shall we go?" Axel gestured to allow Roxas to go in before him.

"Yeah." He stood up, walking slowly to the portal back to The Castle That Never Was. He looked back at Axel. "Do we have to go back?"

"Sadly." Axel responded flatly, following in Roxas's wake.

-

The pair found themselves at the entrance of the castle; they were both glad to see that none of the other members were currently there. Axel wished to spend as little time as possible with anyone in the Organization, except for Roxas of course, and Roxas was purely frightened of all the others from their looks alone to even try to get to know any of them.

"This castle has the stupidest name ever," Axel remarked, mostly to himself, as they walked side by side through the hallways. "Xemnas must have been feeling real original, huh?"

"The Castle That Never Was in the World That Never Was. Seems the Gods were feeling original, too." Roxas chuckled, sharing in on the joke. "Though you know, it's fitting."

"Hm?" Axel looked down at Roxas. He didn't understand what he meant.

"We never were really meant to exist. Us -- Nobodies, I mean. When you think about it, we could be called Those That Never Were. You know?" Roxas eyes were set to the floor as they were walking. He had been in a thinking mood lately, though it wasn't as if he had much else to do these days. He was just glad to have someone to share his thoughts with for once. He knew he could trust Axel. There was just something about him, some common bond that they both shared.

"Yeah, yeah... I get what you mean. Still, he could have chosen a better name. Let's sign up Xemnas for a creative writing course. Maybe he'll have a new outlet instead of tormenting the rest of us." He laughed, not exactly realizing that Roxas was entirely serious. Axel had decided long ago that life was too short to be serious; that you should live every moment as if you'll die the next.

It wasn't long before they were in the corridor with every members' sleeping quarters. The hallway was long, with every number up to XIII painted above each door. Roxas didn't mention how he noticed that Axel didn't stop at his own room, and instead continued ambling beside him until he reached his own.

They stood somewhat awkwardly outside the door, neither of them making a move whatsoever to leave or to go inside.

Roxas felt obligated to bring Axel into his room. "Did you want to come inside?" he asked with a clear sense of hope in his voice. "You're welcome to."

Axel shrugged, "Sure, why not."

"Cool." Roxas smiled, walking in his room, with Axel following close behind. "So, this is the place." Roxas spread his arms out, just to exaggerate how big the tiny room was.

"It's boring." Axel grinned at Roxas to let him know he was teasing. He sat down on the bed, looking around. "You need some posters or something, man."

"Nah, it would make it seem too permanent." Roxas shook his head, sitting on his bed beside Axel.

"But isn't that the point?" Axel was confused, his eyebrows furrowed.

Roxas gazed down upon the cover of his bed, frowning. "I feel like, if my room stays this way, then maybe I won't feel like I have to stay here for as long. If that makes sense."

Axel understood perfectly; he used to feel that way as well. Before, all he wanted was to make his stay with the Organization last the least amount of time as possible. But now, he'd come to realize that this was where he belonged. The walls of his room were now painted crimson, and he had more to look at than just the bad paint job someone had done before it.

"Well..." Axel spoke, pushing away his thoughts. "I still say you should do something to it. All this white is painful to look at."

"Haha, like your hair?" Roxas laughed at his own joke, even though it was rather lame.

"Hey!" Axel jolted up from his seat, glaring at Roxas. "What's wrong with my hair?" He pouted playfully.

"Nothing, nothing." Roxas waved his hands in front of him, showing it was merely a joke. He smiled sincerely. "I like it."

"Apologize." Axel crossed his arms. "No one insults the hair."

"You can't be serious?" Roxas laughed, looking up at a still-pouting Axel.

"One of the few times you'll ever see, I'm serious. You don't mess with the hair. Got it memorized?" He pointed to his head for emphasis. "Now what do you have to say?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. He almost laughed at how stupid this conversation would have sounded if anyone else were to be listening in. "...I'm sorry, Axel's hair. I didn't mean it."

While Roxas held back the laugh threatening to escape, Axel grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "It forgives you."

Roxas snickered, smiling at Axel. "You're really strange, you know."

Axel smiled back, taking that comment as a compliment. Maybe Roxas considered it one as well. "You're pretty odd yourself. Probably why I like you so much."

Roxas opened his mouth to reply, but apparently it would have to wait on the account of an overexcited Demyx charging into the room. "Hey guys! What's up?!" He was practically bouncing up and down as he talked.

He looked around the room, noticing how Roxas and Axel were just a bit too close to each other. "Ooh, did I interrupt something?" Demyx smiled a grin that on anyone else would appear creepy. On him, it just looked goofy, like all the other smiles in his collection.

"No! Out, Demyx. Out!" Axel pointed towards the door, fully aware that he was talking to Demyx as if he was a dog. "Don't make me spray you with a water bottle."

Demyx yelped at the mention, scurrying out of the room. He poked his head through the doorway, "I still think there's something going on here!" Axel just pointed towards the door again, glaring, before Demyx closed it.

Roxas's eyebrows seemed to be permanently raised up on his forehead, showing his surprise. "Why did he just walk into my room? And how did he even know you were in here? And why--"

Axel cut him off. "Trust me; I won't know any of the answers to your questions when they involve Demyx. I don't think even he knows what's wrong with him."

Roxas shook his head, grinning. "You're so mean to him."

"I am not! I'm just protecting you." Roxas raised an eyebrow at this. "I mean -- he just wants your cookies!"

Roxas laughed, finding this other side of Axel nice to see.

"My cookies, Axel? I don't even have cookies." Roxas seemed to have a permanent smile on his face. _Maybe being here won't be too bad_, Roxas thought. _As long as Axel is around, things should be... interesting_.

"Well, that's what you think!" Axel splayed his arms about.

Roxas watched him curiously. "...Axel?"

"Yeah?" He suddenly calmed down, looking at Roxas.

"I know I said this already, but, I stand by my previous statement: you're really weird." Roxas laughed, pushing his hair back.

Axel just laughed in return, plopping on the bed next to Roxas, and laid his head in Roxas's lap. "I'm bored. Entertain me."

Roxas laughed nervously, looking down at Axel. He hoped his blush wasn't too evident. "I think you're entertaining enough for the both of us."

"Yeah, maybe," Axel grinned. "But for now I'm giving you the job of amusing me."

Roxas laughed again. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Axel smirked. "I can think of a few things you could do."

Roxas's eyebrows nearly jumped off his forehead they raised so high. He felt like his face was nearly matching Axel's hair. "Uh, well I, uh... heh..."

Axel eyed Roxas inquisitively. He seemed to enjoy making Roxas uncomfortable. "What, aren't you curious?" Axel sat up, looking Roxas in the eye and grinning.

"C-curious?" Roxas stammered, attempting to avoid Axel's looks but failing miserably. The truth was though, that he _was _curious, but he wasn't ready to admit that to Axel.

He barely noticed how close Axel was to him, now. Probably since he was willing his face to return to its natural, pale color -- rather than what he knew was a deep red -- instead of focusing on the lack of space between them.

"Roxas." Axel gazed into Roxas's eyes, cupping his chin in his hand, pulling his face closer to his own. "Come on, you know you want to," he rasped, his voice husky.

Roxas was bewildered; a million and one thoughts were racing through his head, and he couldn't make sense of any of them. He didn't know what to do. He liked Axel, but... this was just too fast. He barely knew him. He didn't want to hurt him though. Luckily the familiar sound he heard was to fix that awkward situation, or so he hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: We still own nothing to do with the Kingdom Hearts series. **_

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Axel released his hold on Roxas when he heard and saw Demyx topple into the room, clearly out of breath.

"Someone stole all the toilet paper!" he exclaimed, completely unaware that he just saved Axel from an uncomfortable rejection and Roxas's face from overheating.

Axel hid his face in his hands, groaning. "God dammit, Demyx. Stop barging into random people's rooms!"

Demyx's expression read complete confusion. "What's wrong, Axel?"

"Out." Axel spoke through his teeth. "Now."

Demyx whimpered, his bottom lip trembling. "B-but..." He turned around glumly towards the door, making his way out.

"Demyx!" Roxas shouted just as the intelligence-challenged member was about to leave.

His eyes lit up when he heard Roxas's voice. Axel merely groaned. "Yes!" Demyx scampered over to Roxas, beaming.

"Don't listen to him. You can stay if you want," Roxas offered, though afterwards he wasn't so sure that was such a good idea. Axel shot him a look that was clearly not one of happiness before storming out, practically slamming the door closed on his way.

Roxas immediately jumped up off the bed, running after Axel and leaving Demyx in his room, alone. The last thing he wanted was for his first night with the Organization to end that way; for his only friend to be upset with him. He didn't even know why Axel was, but it didn't really matter.

Axel wasn't too far up the hallway, and Roxas soon caught up to him, calling his name as he approached. Axel could only ignore him for so long, and he soon turned to the blonde, arms crossed.

"Axel, what's wrong?" Roxas looked at Axel worriedly.

Axel looked away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. He only muttered unintelligibly.

"Axel..." Roxas's eyes were pleading, begging for things to be okay. "I'm sorry..."

What he was sorry for, he didn't exactly know. But he did know that the phrase normally corrected things, and he hoped that it would work in his case.

Axel's stare remained on the carpeted floor, instead of where it should have been. "...That kid always ruins everything."

Roxas frowned, though he was glad that Axel was speaking to him. "What else has he done?"

Axel was silent, searching his mind for another way that Demyx had screwed his life up. He came up with no other results. "Well... nothing. But that was pretty stupid of him. Ruining a moment like that." And then suddenly, he smiled.

_Maybe he realized how childish his freak out was_ , Roxas thought. _Or maybe he's bi-polar..._

"Hey." Axel beamed, grabbing Roxas's hand.

Unsuspecting, Roxas didn't even have the chance for a confused eyebrow raise before Axel flew down the hallway, pulling Roxas with him, with Roxas struggling to keep up.

"Wh-where are we going?" Roxas forced out between breaths. _Axel sure runs fast._

"Dining room," Axel replied simply, tightening his grip on Roxas's hand.

Roxas was baffled at the sudden change in Axel's behaviour. He was thankful for it though, since he wasn't forced into a week-long period where they didn't communicate at all.

Roxas waved and smiled weakly at the few members of the Organization they passed in the hallway. Larxene harrumphed, and Xigbar only snickered.

What seemed after an eternity of passing, Axel stopped, forcing Roxas to slam into him, the both of them falling to the ground.

"Ouch..." Roxas stood up, brushing himself off, and offered a hand to help Axel stand.

Axel stared at Roxas's hand, then stared up at Roxas, grinning. Roxas didn't like that grin one bit.

"Axel, why are you --"

Roxas wasn't able to finish his sentence since Axel considered his outstretched hand as an invitation to pull him back down. Roxas landed painfully on top of Axel; their faces much too close for Roxas's comfort.

"Roxas, Roxas, Roxas. We really need to stop meeting like this." Axel smirked, cupping Roxas's chin again, moving in closer.

Roxas's eyes were headlights, except Axel didn't seem to notice. He was obviously more intent on another part of Roxas's face that Roxas wasn't too keen on meeting just yet. His lips were more than content to be metres apart from Axel's, rather than connected with them. Not that he knew what that would feel like, anyway.

Axel kept gently pulling Roxas in closer and closer, their lips merely inches away from meeting. Roxas took a deep breath, preparing himself for the impact. He wasn't ready, but it seemed he had no choice in the matter.

Of course, there was always someone there to ruin every chance Axel got to get anywhere with Roxas. This time it wasn't Demyx, but Larxene.

"Woah, guys. A little early for that, don't you think?" she giggled, sauntering over to where they lie on the ground, and kneeled beside them. "Roxas, I think you need to wear your hood more often. It looks like you got a severe sunburn."

Her comment didn't help his blush to disappear, and if anything only made it worse. Roxas wished that Axel's arms weren't holding onto him so he could run off to his room and save himself from all this embarrassment, but sadly Axel wouldn't let go for anything and his room was too far to escape to.

Axel glared at Larxene, making a sound through his teeth that oddly resembled hissing. "Bite me, witch." He glared, his eyebrows furrowed to the point that it looked as if they'd meet. Axel wanted nothing more than to just kill everyone in the Organization who spoiled every moment he got alone with Roxas. He finally found someone he could relate to, and maybe even be intimate with, but everyone had to ruin it.

Roxas, however, had a different idea in mind. He wanted nothing more than to crawl away from Axel and Larxene and hide in some dark area where no one could find him. Was everyone there this crazy?

Larxene grinned, cackling. The way her laugh echoed through the hallway made her sound like a maniac, which wasn't hard to do in the first place. "Oh, Axel. You should know better than to say such things to me. Perhaps a punishment is in order."

Axel scrunched up his face in disgust. "Go fuck Xigbar or something, and stop aggravating me. If you hadn't noticed, Roxas and I were in the middle of something."

She let another laugh sound. "Something that he obviously doesn't want to be involved in."

Axel was stunned. _Something he doesn't want to be involved in? Nah, that's just Larxene trying to piss me off. Even though it does happen to be working..._ He shook his head, shaking away his thoughts for the moment. They could wait for a better time. He looked over to Roxas. It was then he finally realized that Roxas was freaked out of his wits. He really wasn't ready for this. His grip on Roxas loosened and suddenly he felt him relax a little. Axel smiled. _Good, then maybe I didn't wreck things. _

"Get out of here, Larxene. No one wants you here." Axel swiped at her, but missed. She was too fast for him, especially with someone still on top of him. Why Roxas hadn't moved yet was beyond his comprehension. He glared once again at Larxene.

She merely replied with her cackle, sounding as creepy as ever. "Fine. You're boring me anyway." She stood up, but not before she cupped Roxas's cheek, whispering in his ear. "You make such an adorable uke, Roxas. It suits you."

Roxas shared a glare with Axel, both aiming at Larxene.

"See ya, boys." She waved nonchalantly to the pair behind her as she stalked off.

Once Larxene was of their view, and hopefully locked in someone's closet, Roxas sighed and said, "And I thought Demyx was weird..."

Axel shook his head. "Weird is not the appropriate word to use for her. I don't think a word that sums her up even exists."

Roxas laughed, finally sitting up and getting off of Axel. That had been somewhat of an awkward position to have been in for such a long amount of time, but he wasn't sure if he was happy that he was no longer in Axel's arms, which was a strange thought.

What was even stranger though was how Demyx had only just come out of Roxas's room, and was now skipping down the corridor with a roll of toilet paper flowing through the air. He beamed as he saw Roxas and Axel, apparently having been completely oblivious to the fact that Axel had been angry with him earlier, and ran up to them.

"I found the toilet paper!" he announced ecstatically, the smile on his face looking as if it were stapled on. "It makes a really good dance partner, too!"

"...That's great." Axel twirled his finger in the air, much too lazy to bother getting up just yet. "Hey, Demyx."

"Yes!" Demyx skipped closer to Axel, hugging the toilet paper against his chest.

"Help me up," Axel replied flatly in a tone that wouldn't accept no for an answer.

"Okay!" He held onto the toilet paper in the space of his armpit and helped Axel up. In the process, he dropped the tissue. "No! Toilet paper!" he scrambled to pick it up, fumbling with it and dropping it multiple times before getting a hold on it. Roxas and Axel just stared, mostly out of sheer boredom.

"So, you hungry?" Axel asked.

"Sure." Roxas shrugged, walking into the dining room behind Axel.

"About time we got here," Axel commented, immediately rushing to the scarce amount of food that remained in the fridge to empty it out further.

When done collecting the remaining food, he set it down on the dining table and grinned up at Roxas. "What?"

"Just..." Roxas walked over to Axel, examining the food spread across the surface of the table. "...Do you normally eat that much? How do you stay that... twig-like?"

Axel laughed. "It all goes to my hair."

The scary part was that Axel sounded extremely serious.

Roxas reached out a hand to grab a handful of chips but Axel smacked his hand.

Roxas yelped, "Hey! What was that for?"

"For free," Axel smirked, tilting his head to the side mockingly. "That's my share. Your share is what's left in the fridge."

"But there's nothing left in there..." Roxas spoke, dumbfounded. Why was he being so mean all of a sudden?

"Exactly," Axel stated, stretching out, and prepared himself to shove all the food into his mouth.

"...I'm hungry too, y'know," Roxas declared, pouting at Axel.

"Ohh, fine. I'll share. But only because it's you." Axel leaned over to flick Roxas's nose.

_Man, he must be bipolar..._

"Hey, as long as I get food." Roxas swatted Axel's hand away, which he didn't realize was a mistake until after he did it. Axel grabbed his hand, pulling Roxas close to him.

_I thought he had finally understood..._

"Here, have a chip." With his free hand, Axel grabbed a chip out of the bag and placed it in front of Roxas's mouth. The blonde-haired boy stared at it hesitantly, before eating it slowly from Axel's hand.

Axel wore that same grin that Roxas hadn't been sure that he liked when he had pulled him to the floor earlier that day. This time, he knew what was to happen would be even worse.

As soon as Roxas ceased chewing, Axel replaced his hand with his lips and placed them against Roxas's. The younger boy's eyes widened, shocked, yet he really should have expected it, but he still hadn't. Though it was just a simple peck and Roxas pulled away before it got anywhere at all, Axel was still pleased.

"Finally!" he smirked, clearly happy with his actions and how things turned out. "At least you didn't run away screaming like I'd thought you would. That's a plus."

Roxas's face was redder than anything Axel had ever seen, including his hair.

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**A/N: Please for those who read this series (and anything else I had posted), I'd really appreciate it we got more reviews. Just tell us what you like about it, or even what could be improved on would be great. Any sort of feedback is awesome. (Anything not nice, keep to yourself however xD) **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: We still own nothing to do with the Kingdom Hearts series. **_

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Roxas just stared at Axel in silence, unable to find words to speak after what just happened between them. He knew that Axel was going to do it, but somehow, it seemed so unreal. He hadn't thought that it was actually going to happen. He'd that that maybe Axel was going to suddenly change his mind and pull away at the last second, but he didn't.

Axel just stared back at Roxas, studying him, waiting impatiently for a response. He hoped he didn't alienate the one who was slowly turning into his best friend. He realized that it was going to be up to him to end the silence, smiling in a way that he hoped wasn't creepy or off-putting. "So... How was it?"

Roxas was still stunned. "Uhh... it was --"

"Nothing short of amazing, am I right?" Axel cut in, grinning. "As amazing as a kiss that innocent can be, anyway."

Roxas kind of had to agree. Not that he would admit it, or could even think of how to word it with Axel grinning at him like a madman.

"Uh... Well... I can't really say..." Roxas shrugged, crossing and uncrossing his arms nervously. What he was nervous over, he wasn't really all that sure.

"Oh, come on. It was great and you know it." Axel leaned against the table, gazing smugly at Roxas.

Roxas studied the flooring as he muttered, "You act like I have something to compare it to..."

Axel was confused, but he didn't want his expression to show it. He just gave a look that he hoped would make Roxas elaborate. Roxas apparently didn't get the message, because he stayed as close-mouthed as ever.

Suddenly, without any help from Roxas, the light bulb went off in Axel's head, causing him to grin. "I was your first kiss?"

"Y-yes..." Roxas mumbled in response, his blush deepened into a red. It didn't help that Axel outright refused to shut up about the matter.

"Awwww, I was wittle Roxas's first kisss!" Axel cooed, continuing to make baby noises at the blonde.

"Shut up." Roxas snapped, stalking off to the other side of the room.

"Roxas..." Axel reached out a hand after him, starting to follow.

"Seriously, Axel." Roxas's blush had disappeared and his face was now paved with irritation.

Axel hadn't expected for things to go the way they were at all. He especially hadn't even considered that Roxas had never been kissed before, which he knew was a special moment that he had just selfishly taken away from him. But still, maybe he could fix things. He always did manage to.

Roxas grudgingly turned to face Axel.

"Roxas." Axel opened his arms. "Forgive me? Please?" He smiled innocently, batting his eyelashes.

Roxas crossed his arms, glaring at Axel. He walked slowly closer to him, but was far enough still to show he wanted no part of the embrace Axel was offering.

"Fine, I forgive you. Just... don't do it again." He hoped that Axel didn't take that demand to heart, but knowing Axel... he wouldn't.

"Of course, buddy." Axel beamed a smile almost odd enough to rival Demyx.

Because of Roxas forgiving him, Axel figured it was okay to attempt hugging him again. Axel smiled as he wrapped his arms around Roxas, who didn't protest and even found himself hugging back. Axel found it strange how weird both of their behaviours had been that day; maybe Roxas was spending too much time with him and was becoming too much like him in ways.

Axel pulled back to look at Roxas, his arms still around the younger boy's waist. "So, we're okay then?"

Roxas smiled, shrugging. "Yeah, I guess."

"Good. We better be." He grinned down at Roxas. He was always the type that smiled at everything, but ever since he began spending time with Roxas, his mouth was getting more than a good enough workout. "So." He still hadn't removed the grin from his face.

"What?" After all the confusion that he caused Axel, it seems it was Roxas's turn to be confused now. He tilted his head to the side; as always, he didn't like the grin Axel was wearing, no matter how well it suited him.

"You'll see," Axel answered as he picked up Roxas, throwing him over his shoulder.

Roxas didn't even bother struggling for once; he knew that would only make Axel hold on tighter, inversely causing pain for himself. He just hoped that what Axel had in mind wasn't too terrifying. That wasn't asking for too much, was it?

Axel carried Roxas all the way out the doors of the castle and into an area that wasn't even known about by most of the Organization. Axel had stumbled upon it one night when looking for one of his chakrams that Larxene had thrown out his window in a fit of rage, and occasionally came back when he had nothing better to do. Not that this was that case; he just figured it would be a nice place to spend time with Roxas, rather than in the dining room.

He finally set Roxas down when they were in the garden, and watched as he surveyed the place. Once Roxas's eyes fell onto Axel, he grabbed onto his hand and pulled him over to where a fountain was placed, seating himself on the ledge and pulling Roxas down beside him. The moonlight shone down on the pair and gave them enough lighting to see each other, and so Roxas could easily see that Axel was still smiling. At that rate, he didn't know if his mouth would ever form a frown again.

Axel kept his hand clasped with Roxas's, entwining their fingers together. As a pleasant surprise, Roxas didn't pull away. "So, what do you think?" He smiled at Roxas, squeezing his hand.

"It's cold." He laughed, thankful for even the minor warmth of Axel's hand.

"Oh, it's not that cold, you big baby." He pulled Roxas closer, wrapping his free arm around him.

Roxas was getting used to Axel's frequent desire to show affection and so he didn't pull away like he might have done before. It was odd how quickly he and Axel had grown comfortable with each other, but maybe that was a sign that they were meant to be good friends. So far it appeared to be that way.

The only sounds around them were of the wind blowing and the occasional crackling of an animal stepping on one of the fallen leaves. Neither of the two felt the need to speak, seeing as they'd done enough of that to be tired of it, and just let themselves relax against the other. After a while, Roxas's head made contact with Axel's shoulder and he let it rest there, closing his eyes. Axel loosened his grip on Roxas, knowing he wasn't going to be running off on him anytime soon.

Axel's smile softened as he watched Roxas slowly drift off to sleep. It was amazing how comfortable Roxas had grown to be around him, and for that he was happy. It was nice having someone to be affectionate with. He had never had that before -- at least, not on that sort of level. He nuzzled and kissed the top of Roxas's head more than gently enough as to not disturb him, causing him to smile in his sleep. "Come on. Let's get you to bed, Mr. Sleepy," Axel whispered softly.

He gently took Roxas's form into his arms, careful not to awaken him. The last thing he wanted was for him to wake up, not knowing why he was being carried by Axel and then flee the scene. Knowing Roxas, he probably would have done that.

The halls of the castle were silent, meaning that most members were already in their rooms and either sleeping or conspiring against the rest of the Organization. It didn't take long for Axel to reach Roxas's room; he already knew that the door wasn't locked -- nor was it closed, thanks to Demyx's stupidity -- and so he walked inside, immediately setting Roxas upon his bed. He did his best to ignore the horridly plain white walls and sat next to Roxas, staring down at him instead of focusing on the monotony of his room.

Axel really didn't want to go back to his own room. He had many ideas of what he could do with his time but none of them were able to compete with just staying with Roxas. He debated it over, and over, trying to picture what Roxas's reaction would be if he woke up next to him. Would he run like a rabbit fleeing a wolf? Or would he not care at all? Roxas was almost as confusing as he was, so he really didn't know which to go with. He decided to go with the former. If worse came to worse, he could always leave before Roxas woke up in the morning.

_If I wake up first... I'll leave. If he wakes up first, I guess I'll be stuck staying, won't I? _

He shrugged at nothing in particular and began to lie down next to Roxas, wrapping his arms slowly around Roxas's sleeping form.

Most likely on instinct, Roxas snuggled up closer to Axel, much to his surprise. _At least in his sleep he's willingly affectionate..._ Axel thought with a slight smirk.

All that could be heard was the ticking of the clock on Roxas's bedside table and the sound of their mingled breathing. The content state that they were in made it so that it didn't take long at all for Axel to fall asleep; his last thought being that he hoped Roxas woke up before him in the morning.

Roxas's face was buried into Axel's chest, the two of them practically latched onto to each other in their sleeping states. Axel wasn't much of a sleep talker, but apparently Roxas was. He would murmur things from time to time, one time even involving bananas and cucumbers, and fall back to silence, excluding his breathing.

Axel squeezed Roxas tighter in his sleep, rousing Roxas's sleep talking again. He nuzzled closer, murmuring quietly and barely audibly against Axel's chest.

"Let's run away together..."

-

The blinding sunlight was what initially woke Roxas from his rather pleasant slumber. What made him force open his eyes, despite how the sun was making it very hard to do so, was how he felt what he'd predicted to be an arm wrapped around his waist. When he saw that it was Axel, he was officially and fully awake.

The first thought that came to his mind was how exactly Axel got to be lying beside him, in his bed. He didn't even remember how he got there himself, nevermind how someone else did. He was at least glad to see that they were fully clothed; that saved him from many worries.

He figured as long as the red head was still asleep, he might as well have taken advantage of the moment and settled back into Axel's arms. He didn't have to hear him chattering or making smug remarks while he was asleep, even if they were kind of cute sometimes. Roxas tinged pink at the thought.

_Do I really like him...? _Roxas wondered, staring down at the gorgeous man in his arms. _Maybe..._

Roxas saved his thoughts for another time, as Axel was beginning to stir.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: We still own nothing.**_

**A/N: Sadly, we must admit that the lack of reviews is really beginning to bug us. We put a lot of effort into what we write and it almost feels as if we're doing it for no one but ourselves. If you read this story and you like it, please just tell us so.**

**To make the above shorter: please review or we may just stop updating this story altogether. (and we mean that.)**

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* * *

It took Axel a moment to realize where he was, and why Roxas was staring at him in that familiar way. And why Roxas was in his bed... or was it Roxas's bed? He was confusing himself, until he remembered the night before, and suddenly everything made much-needed sense.

Axel couldn't not make a comment about their position, and so he did, almost immediately. "It's not often one wakes to such a pretty face," he smiled tiredly, keeping his grip on Roxas firm.

Roxas decided to ignore him, and instead dove into what he had been wondering for the past few minutes. "How did you get here...?"

Axel smirked – it was such a common thing for him to do that now Roxas could practically predict when he would -- and said, "Well, when a heartless is born --"

"You know what I mean, you idiot!" Roxas interrupted him, laughing slightly.

Roxas interrupted him further by covering Axel's mouth with his hand, laughing not merely at Axel, but at the situation the two of them were in.

Of course, Axel being, well, Axel, took this gesture as an invitation and happily bit down on Roxas's hand. Not hard mind you, but hard enough to get a yelp out of the poor boy.

Roxas immediately pulled his hand away, shaking it in hope that it would help ease the pain. "You bit me!" Roxas exclaimed.

Axel just shrugged as he chuckled softly, his arms still around Roxas, "Hey, I didn't put your hand there."

"Yeah, but you were annoying enough that I couldn't have not," Roxas replied, cradling his hand within his other and rubbing where Axel had bitten it.

"I can think of another way you could have shut me up," Axel voiced, enjoying making Roxas uncomfortable. "Would you like me to demonstrate how that would be?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure I know what you mean, Axel. No need to show me."

Axel pouted. "Are you sure? I'd gladly do so."

Roxas laughed. He had to give Axel credit; he certainly was persistent when he wanted something. "I'm sure, Axel. I'm sure."

Axel shrugged, having expected that answer, though he figured he might as well have tried.

They laid in silence for a moment or so until, of course, Axel had to break it.

"Pleeease?" Axel smiled innocently, his grin wider than usual for emphasis.

Roxas was getting annoyed; he simply could not take the hint. Would he ever give up? Since it was Axel, the chances were low.

"Come on, Roxas," Axel practically begged, drawing out Roxas's name to be even more annoying. He was hoping he could irritate Roxas to the point where he'd eventually give in.

"No," Roxas replied simply.

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on."

"...No."

"C'mon, man, just --"

Roxas groaned in frustration. "Oh for God's sake! Fine!"

Axel beamed when he finally heard those words. Sure, Roxas didn't sound as happy as he had hoped he would, but hey, a kiss was a kiss. He moved in closer to Roxas, feeling his breath on his lips, and pulled the blonde closer to him until their lips collided. It was a short and sweet kiss, but longer than their first. Axel didn't want to take advantage of the situation _too _much . To Axel's dismay, Roxas didn't even kiss back, and in fact, he slowly started pulling away, causing the kiss to be even shorter than Axel intended. He frowned.

In response to Axel's expression, Roxas stated, "You're lucky you even got that. Next time that won't work."

A half-smile spread across Axel's lips. "I guess I'll just have to do it by force, then."

Roxas shook his head, smiling tauntingly. "Not gonna happen."

Roxas sat up, consequently bringing himself out of Axel's arms. He crawled over the elder, and when halfway off the bed he inwardly scolded himself; he should have realized that Axel was going to take full advantage of his position and pull him down so he was lying on top of him.

"And where do you think you're going?" Axel questioned, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around Roxas's waist to keep him in place.

"To shower." Roxas stated simply.

"Oh, no you're not. Unless you plan on bringing me with you." Axel declared. "Come on. Stay here with me for a little while. Don't make me whine again." Axel pouted, even going as far as to make his bottom lip quiver.

Roxas groaned. "You never give up, do you?"

Axel shook his head fervently, smiling nearly ear to ear.

Roxas tried once again to get off the bed, but it was harder than one would think to escape Axel's grip. Eventually, when he was successful, he basically jumped onto the carpet, and just as he thought it was safe to begin walking away, he felt something latch onto his arm.

Roxas was tempted to smack himself in aggravation. "...Are you kidding me, Axel? Do you not ever quit?"

"You think you would have learned the answer to that by now." Axel playfully nuzzled Roxas's arm.

Roxas couldn't help but laugh at Axel's advances. "I'll be back soon -- a half hour, at most." He took it upon himself to unwrap Axel's hands from his arm.

Axel stood, causing them to be eye level once again. Roxas smiled as warmly as he possibly could and took a chance.

Axel nearly stumbled backward as he felt Roxas's lips press powerfully yet hesitantly against his, taking him completely by surprise. He instantly did what Roxas hadn't when Axel had kissed him, which was kissing back. As he went to snake his arms around Roxas's waist, he was disappointed to find that he was no longer within reach. Now he was absolutely baffled.

Roxas smiled from the doorway, giving Axel a small wave. "See you soon." And with that, he was gone.

Axel fell back onto the bed, sitting there for a moment, completely and utterly stunned. He pressed two of his fingers against his lips, already missing the feel of Roxas's against his own.

He sighed, slowly getting up and walking out the door. He moseyed over to the bathing area, hoping that Roxas would already be almost done by the time he got there, though that wasn't at all likely to happen.

Just as he was nearing the door, he was displeased to find that instead of Roxas emerging from behind it, it was Demyx who did. Axel desperately wished for an object he could hide behind so that he didn't have to endure the insanity that Demyx proved to possess time and time again. But sadly, there was nothing nearby to hide behind, and so he couldn't stop Demyx from skipping over to him and starting up a mostly one-sided conversation. At least Demyx could entertain him until Roxas was finished showering, though.

"Guess what, Axel!" Demyx exclaimed, his grin so large that Axel wondered how it even fit on his face.

"What?" Axel responded, lacking enthusiasm.

"I taught my toothbrush the tango!" Demyx announced happily, his grin widening even more so.

"...That's nice, Demyx." Axel faked interest as best he could, but with Demyx, that wasn't always the easiest feat.

"I know!" The mullet-bearing member exclaimed. He was so filled with glee that he hugged himself as he skipped off down the hall.

"And people say I'm strange..." Axel stared after him, shaking his head. "Come on Roxas, hurry up already!" he scolded at the door, hoping Roxas -- or anyone for that matter -- didn't actually hear him. Now that would have been pathetic, and not the adorable kind he had portrayed not too long ago.

Axel was really beginning to tire of waiting for Roxas. Just how much longer would he be anyway? He leaned against the wall next to the bathing area, he stared off into space for a little bit until he realized, while he's waiting for Roxas, he might as well shower himself. He never did take too long; he'd probably be done by the time the blonde finished.

He shrugged, walking into the washroom and stumbling upon a surprise after entering. Both of Axel's eyebrows went up, obviously pleased. "Well, well, well," he smirked, folding his arms.

"Axel!" Roxas screeched. "What are you doing here!" His hands quickly lowered between his legs in attempt for some sort of modesty even though his efforts were failing miserably.

"I was going to go shower myself. You're very boring to wait for. It's not my fault you decided to finish when I happen to walk in," he laughed, clearly enjoying himself.

Roxas's face matched Axel's hair, which seemed to have become a common occurrence these past few days. "T-Turn, around, or go away, or something! At least wait till I get dressed..." Roxas pleaded. He seemed embarrassed to the point that he was on the verge of tears.

"All right, All right." Axel put his hands up showing he meant no harm. "You can get dressed as I go shower. You get to wait for me this time," he smirked impishly.

"W-What are you doing?" Roxas cocked his head to the side, seeming to forget for a moment that he was unclothed.

"What does it look like, dummy? I'm taking my clothes off," Axel unzipped his cloak, taking it off before starting to remove his boots. "You know, that's what people do before they go shower," he remarked sarcastically.

"I thought you were going to, you know, undress in the shower, or something," Roxas replied timidly. He was attempting to walk over to his clothes while still covering himself with his hands. By his expression, it was no easy task.

Axel sat down, taking off his boots, along with the rest of his clothing, chuckling and staring at Roxas's attempts to get to his clothing. "Oh don't be such a baby. It's not like I've never seen a penis before. Because hello!" He pointed downwards.

Roxas rolled his eyes at him, stepping a few more inches towards his clothing.

Axel stuck his tongue out at Roxas before he stepped into the shower, closing the door. Why did he do that? Why does Axel do anything?

The blonde gave a sigh or relief when he heard the water turn on. He was finally able to get dressed.

He couldn't help but think that Axel was right though. He really had no need to be embarrassed, especially in front of his best friend. He sat down next to the stall Axel was showering in, finally fully dressed. "Are you done yet?" He spoke loud enough so that Axel could hear him over the water.

"No," Axel shouted back. "I told you I'm going to make you wait for me. Though I am glad you did take so long. If you hadn't, I might have actually stayed outside and missed out on such a lovely sight."

Roxas was able to hear the grin in his voice causing him to blush. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Hey, you better mean gorgeous," Axel laughed, even though he wasn't kidding.

"Fine. Fine. _Gorgeous."_ Roxas laughed with him, knowing too he wasn't joking. He stood up, pacing back and forth the length of the washroom. He never realized how big it really was till he was stuck waiting for someone.

"That's more like it," he peeked his head out the shower door, smirking.

"Oh will you get back in there, and finish up already?" Roxas snapped playfully. He schlumped back next to the shower stall, waiting impatiently.

"Okay. Okay. Yes, _Dear!_" Axel played along, eventually finishing up and walking out. "There! You happy? I'm done!" He stood in front of Roxas, dripping wet, his arms spread out.

Roxas sighed, shaking his head. He was already used to Axel's blatant disregard for modesty. He merely looked away, handing Axel a towel.

He quickly dried himself off and most likely to annoy Roxas, took his time clothing himself.

Roxas looked at him askance. "Your hair isn't spikey."

"I know," Axel snapped. Roxas had apparently touched a nerve.

"I like it. You should keep it like that," Roxas smirked. It felt nice being the one pushing the buttons this time.

"Nope. The Hair stays." The scary thing was Roxas could hear the capital "H" in Axel's voice when he said it. He stood in front of the mirror primping himself till every last spike was in place.

"Man, and you said_ I_ take long," Roxas whined, tugging on Axel's sleeve.

"Okay, Okay, Mr. Cute-whiney-pants I'm done. Now compliment me," he stood in front of Roxas waiting for him to indulge his already over-inflated ego.

"You look great," Roxas smiled sincerely.

"I know I do," Axel beamed, pulling Roxas into his arms for an embrace. He was glad that Roxas was finally used to his actions. He also couldn't remember a time when he would ever smile this much. It was a nice change.

Speaking of changes, a change took place in Axel's body chemistry. He was hungry. "Hey, let's go to breakfast."

Roxas shrugged, feeling hungry as well. "Okay."

As they were walking to the dining room, Axel oh-so-subtly brushed his hand against Roxas's several times. After realizing that the first time was indeed not a mistake, Roxas shifted away from him somewhat, but when Axel followed him, he gave up on rejecting his hand and just allowed for Axel to link their hands together. This caused for many eyes to be upon them when they entered the dining room, where most of the Organization members currently were as well.

Axel was obviously enjoying the attention their laced hands brought. He and Roxas took their seats at the dining room table, Axel still latched onto Roxas. They had no need to forage for food for once because a spread was already set out on the table. Only Axel was eating -- everyone else was too busy staring at the pair than to concentrate on their food. For most, it was out of curiosity or amusement. Surprisingly, no one seemed disgusted; apparently such relationships were common in the Organization.

Zexion smirked, commenting, "Looks like Axel's found a new toy."

He received glares from both Axel and Roxas, which only served to make several of the other members laugh.

"So, have you two fucked yet?" Larxene asked, seeming genuinely interested. Roxas spit out the water he'd been sipping, his eyes goldfish bowls.

"W-what?!" he exclaimed, flushing a charming shade of red.

"Aww, looks like I hit a nerve," Larxene smirked, enjoying herself. Taunting the pair was quite amusing, especially with Roxas. He gave the best reactions of the two, while Axel didn't seem to care much. "They're so cute together. You should have seen them the other day." She leaned closer to Zexion, who was sitting next to her. "I'm sure they were going to make out if I hadn't run across them." She said aside to him, but purposely loud enough for the rest of the room to hear.

Roxas's blush increased in colour with each word Larxene spoke. "We were not!"

It was at this moment that Axel finally decided to intervene. Unfortunately for Roxas, it wasn't to spare him any more humiliation. "Come on, Roxas." Axel grinned mischievously, raising an eyebrow. "You know you wanted to."

"What?!" Roxas repeated, his face as red as the cranberries in his cereal bowl.

Axel's grin only extended. "No need to deny the truth, Roxas."

Roxas wanted nothing more than to sink back in his chair and drown in the leather. He felt so uncomfortable, especially with so many people involved in the conversation.

"I'm not denying anything!" he pressed, defensive.

Axel's grin transformed into a smirk. "And that's why you keep kissing me, right?"

Roxas had no idea what to say. He didn't want to admit it, but Axel was right. As much as he denied it, he enjoyed every moment he spent with Axel, as frustrating as he could be at times. But that's what he liked about Axel; he had nothing to hide. No secrets, nothing. He was always just... himself. Roxas wished he could be more like him. Maybe it was time he should start trying.

He stayed tight-lipped, not really knowing what to say. He didn't want to speak anything more; it would only feed those vultures. He squeezed Axel's hand, smiling subtly so that only Axel would notice and understand. Thankfully, Roxas knew he did when he nodded.

"And there you have it, folks!" Axel exclaimed.

"Have what? I have a spoon!" shouted Demyx. "It helps me eat cereal! I love it!"

"You can't love anything, you dummy," snapped Larxene.

Xigbar chuckled, "We don't have hearts, you know that."

Demyx looked as if he was about to cry. "Y-you guys are mean! If I say I love something, I love it! Why do I need a heart to love something?"

For the first time in his life, Axel found himself agreeing with Demyx. Roxas was just glad that the attention was finally off of him.

Larxene rolled her eyes. "It's pretty obvious. But of course, it's nothing you could understand. You're just that stupid."

Demyx tilted his head to the side in confusion. "...Huh?"

"Evidence!" Larxene stated, smacking the side of Demyx's head, causing him to shriek.

As everyone was currently being entertained by Demyx's childlike nature, Roxas and Axel took this as the perfect opportunity to sneak out of the dining room unnoticed. They stood in front of each other in the hall, just outside of the dining room but far enough away that no one would notice them standing there right away.

Roxas crossed his arms, glaring directly at Axel. "Why did you embarrass me like that?"

Axel's smile stayed in place, even as Roxas's was nowhere to be found. "Because. I don't care who knows about us."

Roxas's eyebrow arched. "Us?"

"...Don't you feel something, Roxas?" Axel's eyes were solemn, his smile slowly fading.

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**A/N part 2: To any of those who ignored the a/n at the top--if we don't get enough reviews for this chapter , this may be the last chapter you see of Collision of Your Kiss. You know, just sayin'.  
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**Just tell us what you like about it even. We're honestly not asking for much. It's not that hard. Just let us know we're not just writing this for ourselves, otherwise we're not going to bother anymore.**_**  
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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing but the plot.

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait, guys. We took a short break from writing for a while to focus on other things, but now we're back to writing this story. We hope you enjoy this update and continue leaving us reviews; they're what keep us writing.

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"...Feel, Axel? I hate to say this, but you're starting to sound like Demyx. You of all people should know we don't have hearts." Roxas eyed Axel sceptically.

"I don't care. I know what I feel, Roxas, regardless of what others say. Can't you understand that?" Axel's eyes were pleading with Roxas. He'd never acted this way before. There was just something about him, that made Axel melt. He knew he couldn't afford to mess this up.

Axel paced back and forth in the limited space in front of Roxas. He was trying to find the right wording, but was obviously having a difficult time. "Roxas..." Axel gazed at the blonde, his smile returning. "You make me feel like I have a heart."

Roxas was no longer glaring, but he wasn't smiling either. "You know that's impossible, Axel. You're imagining things."

"I'm not!" Axel immediately responded, frustrated. "I'm not imagining anything."

He took a step toward Roxas, reaching out to pull him into his arms. To his surprise, Roxas stepped forward and allowed for Axel to hold him.

"You make me feel different than anyone else here, Roxas." He smiled, pulling the younger boy further into his chest.

Roxas looked up at Axel as they embraced, making no move to pull away. He squeezed Axel tighter. "You know, I don't fully understand what you mean. But, with you, I never know what you're talking about anyway, so that's okay." He smiled, reassuring Axel that everything was fine.

Axel smiled back, resting his forehead against Roxas's. "That makes two of us."

They remained in that position even as Larxene and Zexion emerged from the dining room, immediately plunging into taunting the two.

"Look, they were about to make out again!" Larxene falsely informed the other, pointing accusingly at the pair. "Maybe we should have waited a bit longer to come out."

Zexion only stared at her, disgusted.

Axel and Roxas shared Zexion's stare at Larxene. Even Roxas was used to her taunting to the point that it barely phased him. It was more annoying than anything. He decided to act out of character, and play along for once. _If you can't beat 'em... Join 'em_ .

"Oh Larxene, you know better than I that Axel and I would never make out in public. We save that act for when you're out of your room." He grinned, turning red at his own audacity.

Axel was stunned; he never thought he'd see the day where Roxas actually stood up for himself, let alone, well, their relationship. Axel smirked at Larxene, obviously agreeing.

"What! How... I always lock my... Ugh!" she sputtered, stalking off. Zexion merely shrugged, following behind her.

Axel grinned. "You're finally one of us: snide and sarcastic!"

Roxas was still surprised with himself. "Guess I'm hanging around you too much. I might start getting tired of you," he laughed. He knew that wasn't true though. He could never get tired of Axel. In fact, he wouldn't have wanted to spend any less time with Axel, even if it did mean becoming too much like him for his own good.

"You'd better not stop hanging out with me. I'd have to kidnap you," Axel playfully warned, leaning down slightly to nuzzle noses with him.

As of late, Roxas hadn't been put off by Axel's displays of affection. If anything, he seemed to be encouraging them; he nuzzled back, smiling and laughing still. "Well, I doubt you'll ever have to do that then, since I happen to enjoy being around you."

"I know, I am pretty awesome. You just can't get enough of me," he teased.

Roxas smiled, looking to the floor. Axel always had such a strange, unfamiliar effect on him that no one else ever had. Maybe he was starting to understand what Axel had meant earlier, even if just a little.

Axel beamed, brushing away Roxas's fringe from his eyes. "Wanna go to the tower? I'll buy you ice cream again, if you want."

Roxas looked up at Axel again, his smile still in place. "Sure."

-

They walked hand in hand out of the portal Axel had created from where they had been previous. Since the World that Never Was was in a constant state of night, Axel and Roxas found it enjoyable to see the sun again. Axel sat down, pulling an at last willing Roxas down next to him. "Let's just sit here a moment, then I'll get you that ice cream."

"Yeah, it's nice here. No one to interrupt us," Roxas nodded.

"Interrupt us?" Axel inquired. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" Axel smirked; he loved to embarrass Roxas. He always gave the best reactions.

Roxas's face tinged with pink. "Just what it means, okay!"

Axel grinned at the sight of him. "You're adorable."

Roxas's eyes widened at the compliment. He'd never been told anything like that before in his life.

"T-thanks..." he stuttered, his blush lingering. He didn't even think to return the statement, though he did honestly think it. He was far too shy to let Axel know, though.

Axel was a little bit disappointed that Roxas didn't say anything about his hair, but he knew he'd get over it. He thought highly enough of himself as it was. The last thing he needed was even more of a confidence boost. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "So, it's pretty nice outside." He scolded himself internally for thinking up something so lame.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Roxas agreed, scooting a little closer to Axel. "The sun feels nice."

Axel noticed the lack of space between them and once again, decided to take advantage. He pretended to stretch out his arms, lowering one of them around Roxas. "This feels better." Axel smiled one of his usual smug smiles, rubbing Roxas's shoulder gently.

Roxas had to admit, he loved all the attention he got from Axel. But he wasn't about to admit it out loud just yet.

Roxas smiled, looking up at Axel. "It does feel better."

Axel loved how Roxas was finally letting him be affectionate without having it be one-sided like it seemed to be at one point. The smile he was constantly wearing grew wider when Roxas wrapped one of his arms around Axel, still looking up at him. Their faces were so close together that all Axel would have to do was lean forward in order to kiss him, but Roxas beat him to it, except his lips didn't land exactly where Axel had hoped they would -- Roxas was kissing his cheek softly. Axel, as always, took advantage of the situation and turned his head slightly so that their lips would connect.

Roxas's eyes widened in surprise when he felt Axel's lips press against his own, but it was a good form of surprise. He was shocking himself when he realized just how much he was enjoying himself. Axel grinned against Roxas's lips, kissing him intensely, but not getting so carried away that Roxas would be put off. He was getting a feel finally for what would be the younger's limit. He ran his free hand through Roxas's hair, as the pair were obviously enjoying themselves in the kiss.

Roxas himself was glad that he was finally comfortable enough with Axel and that even he knew not to go too fast with him. That was what he really liked about Axel. He took advantage of situations, but he didn't take advantage of Roxas himself. He snaked his own arms around Axel's neck, pulling away slowly once they both needed some air. Their faces were flushed from the lengthy kiss.

Roxas rested his head against Axel's shoulder, smiling out at the town below him, content. Axel placed his arm over Roxas's shoulders, resting his head against the other's. Things really couldn't have been more perfect.

A silence took over the area, but it wasn't unwelcome. It was only when Roxas spoke several minutes later that it was broken.

"So, what of the ice cream you promised you'd get me?" You could have heard the laughter in Roxas's voice. He couldn't remember the last time when he was as happy as he was then. No, not happy. Ecstatic.

"Whoa, back up a second here. We just kissed, and you're asking for _ice cream_ ? I feel insulted!" Axel joked, afterwards nuzzling Roxas. He absolutely adored spending time with him, and he was never one to adore anything, let alone another person. Roxas truly was special.

"Well, yeah," Roxas laughed, holding onto Axel tighter. "I think your excessive hunger is also passing onto me."

Axel wanted nothing more than to never let go of Roxas, but to make him happy, he tore himself from the blonde and stood. He almost didn't notice Roxas's pout. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."

Roxas rolled his eyes, leaning back against the tower. "Where else would I go?" _Or want to be?_ , he almost added.

Roxas stared off into space for a little while, just taking in the silence. He never realized just how much Axel talked until right then. _I wonder how long it'll take him. Hopefully not too long._ As weird as it was for him to think it, Roxas missed Axel. They had only been hanging out a few days, but he didn't think it mattered how long two people had been together as long as there was a bond. He knew that bond was there the first moment they said "hi" because they had clicked instantly.

It was strange to him, but he felt as if his life wouldn't be at all the same if Axel weren't in it. He couldn't believe how attached to the other he was becoming, especially when they'd only known each other for a short period of time. He felt different when Axel was around, even if he didn't understand how exactly. More complete, maybe.

As Roxas was mid-thought, the object of his affection finally came back into view, walking through a portal. Roxas brightened at the sight and sat up straight, waiting for Axel to take his usual spot right next to him, with the ice cream. Ironically enough though, Roxas wasn't too hungry anymore. Of course Axel wouldn't know that; he went to too much trouble to get it for him to say so. Roxas smiled, taking the ice cream from Axel's hand. The elder crouched down slightly to kiss the top of the younger's head before sitting down next to him. They were wearing the same expressions--beaming.

As Roxas started on his ice cream, Axel wrapped his arm around Roxas's shoulders just like he'd done before and gazed upon him with a smile. Roxas found it cute that Axel was happy with just staring at him. He pulled Roxas closer, nuzzling his hair.

"It's kinda hard to eat with you all over me, Axel," Roxas informed, a laugh following his words.

Axel ignored him and continued with his actions. "Well, too bad."

Roxas just laughed softly, silently happy that Axel didn't stop. He took another bite of his ice cream, staring off into space again as he let it melt in his mouth. Apparently Axel didn't seem to think Roxas was eating his ice cream fast enough, because when Roxas wasn't looking, Axel bit a huge chunk out of his popsicle.

Roxas turned around, staring at Axel. "Did you just...?" he asked, stunned.

Axel gave an innocent look, as if he had no idea what Roxas was talking about. "Maybe..." he mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream.

Roxas figured that Axel was probably hungrier than he was, so he passed the remainder of his ice cream to the redhead, smiling as his face lit up.

There was another silence in the air, but once again it was a comfortable one. Every so often Axel would shift even closer, if it was even possible, to Roxas, tightening his grip on the younger boy. Roxas would merely smile up at him before continuing to watch the birds flying past.

"Hey," Roxas spoke, finally breaking the silence.

"What is it?" Axel gazed at Roxas, rubbing his shoulder gently and holding him close.

"The birds." Roxas didn't really know at first what he wanted to say, but he figured he would find the words eventually.

Axel arched an eyebrow, clearly confused. "What about them?"

"They're so free, you know?" Roxas turned his attention to Axel, hoping he'd at least slowly catch his drift.

It took Axel a moment before he caught on. "Unlike us, you mean?"

Roxas sighed, nodding. "Exactly... I don't want to live this way forever."

Axel looked at Roxas with an empathetic expression. He knew exactly how he was feeling. "Mindlessly following orders of someone you hate? Feeling like everyone's against you?"

Roxas nodded again. "Yeah..." There was a pause before he added, "See, you're the only one who understands me."

Axel smiled knowingly. "Duh. Cause only I get to do this." He leaned in closer, caressing Roxas's lips with his own.

Somehow, Roxas knew Axel was going to do that, but he really didn't mind anymore. If anything, he was starting to actually enjoy it now. At least, when no one else was around, that was. Roxas smiled, pressing his own lips against Axel's, kissing him softly before pulling away not long after. "Yeah, only you." Roxas was still sharing smiles with Axel, resting his head on his shoulder. "...Let's get out of this place."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: We own nothing.**

_A/N: Keep reviewing guys, and there will only be one more chapter after this. It's almost over, can you believe it?_

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Axel eyed Roxas curiously. "Why, what's wrong with it here? I thought you liked the tower?"

Roxas shook his head, laughing at his friend's density. "Come on, you know what I mean."

Axel laughed in unison. "Yeah. I want to leave, too. But we can't just... run off. We need to plan ahead. You know what Xemnas would do if he found out we'd left."

Roxas sighed deeply, staring down at his and Axel's now linked hands. "Sadly. That's really what's kept me here this long already."

"Okay, enough moping. We just gotta get a plan, that's all." Axel stood up, bringing Roxas with him, their fingers still entwined together.

Roxas simply nodded in agreement, letting go of Axel's hand to instead link their arms together, leaning his head back against Axel's shoulder.

Axel glanced down at Roxas, smiling, an idea forming in his head. With his free hand, he made a portal, leading a ponderous Roxas through it.

They arrived at the same garden they were the previous night; nothing had changed in the slightest. Once again, Axel led Roxas to the fountain, forcing him to sit down and disconnecting their arms in the process. Roxas frowned; but when he saw what Axel had done so for, his smile returned.

Axel had plucked a single red rose from the garden, which he presented to Roxas by kneeling and holding it out to him. Roxas smiled wider as he took it from the other man, feeling a warmth spread through him.

Axel stayed crouched down for a moment longer, taking one of Roxas's hands in his own, kissing it gently. "Roxas, will you be my boyfriend?" There was a sense of genuinity and sincerity in Axel's eyes. This was clearly no joking matter to Axel.

Roxas was speechless; his face thoroughly flushed. He never knew there was this side to Axel--a romantic side. He opened his mouth to say something, hoping he wouldn't say the wrong thing.

Axel seemed to know what Roxas was thinking, because at the same moment, Axel pressed his mouth against Roxas's. He already knew the answer. He figured maybe Roxas could show it better than telling it. Axel knew he was never the best with words--that was his expertise.

Axel broke away shortly after, still smiling. No, not smiling. Beaming. "Just say yes?"

Roxas practically leapt into Axel's arms mere seconds after the words left Axel's lips. His arms were wrapped around the red-head's waist, and nuzzled his neck as he whispered softly into Axel's ear. "Yes."

Axel jumped up, throwing his fist in the air and yelling out something incomprehensible. Roxas laughed, tugging on Axel's hand to bring him back down. Axel went willingly, sitting beside Roxas with one arm snaked around his shoulders.

Axel couldn't stop beaming for anything. "I'm so glad."

"Me too, Axel." Roxas shared Axel's sentiments exactly. His grin appeared to almost split his face in two, and it only got wider each time his eyes met Axel's. Both their eyes were smiling as well. It was impossible to tell they had no hearts. _Maybe Xemnas is wrong after all, _Roxas thought._ Who is he to tell how we feel?_ Whatever it meant, Roxas didn't care. All he wanted was Axel, and nothing else. As long as he was around, things would always be fine. He leaned in closer, anxiously awaiting another collision of their lips.

The two remained beaming as they once again pulled away from each other.

"Does this mean I get to kiss you whenever I want?" Axel smirked in a fashion as if he already knew the answer.

Roxas laughed, stating the obvious. "You already do."

"Ahh, you're right." Axel leaned in, kissing Roxas for probably about the million and first time that night. This time to just prove a point. "Well. What about pet names?"

Roxas was more than happy to return Axel's kiss, breaking away only to respond. "That depends. Like what?" He arched an eyebrow warily.

Axel tilted his head side to side, obviously bouncing around names in his head. Eventually he decided on one that he liked. "Sugarlips." He grinned amusedly.

Roxas's eyebrows lowered into a furrow. "Absolutely not. Don't you even dare." Roxas hoped Axel didn't actually intend to call him that.

"Then just what do you plan on letting me call you?" Axel whined, nuzzling Roxas's neck.

"Anything but that," Roxas laughed, pulling away from Axel so their eyes could meet.

While Axel took the rejection of his chosen nickname quite well, afterwards he wore a look of deep concentration. "Well, what about Roxy?"

Roxas's eyebrows rose, showing he took offense to the new name -- only surprise. "You want me to lose even more of my masculinity, Axel?"

Axel obviously disagreed. "What? It's cute. And fitting."

Roxas pouted, the nickname slowly sinking into his being. "Alright then, Snickers."

Axel arched an eyebrow. "Snickers?"

"Yes, you're Snickers now," Roxas stated, his lips slowly forming a grin once again.

"Oh come on, that's worse than Roxy," Axel complained, his face forming a pout as he bit his lower lip an in attempt to convince Roxas otherwise.

"Too bad, Snickers," Roxas laughed, pushing Axel playfully.

"Hey!" Axel exclaimed, shifting away from Roxas, though only somewhat. "You better not mess up my hair."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Is that all you care about, Axel? Your hair?"

"Maybe," Axel smirked.

Roxas quietly challenged his smirk, allowing his body language to make up for it, pushing Axel once more.

"Oh, I see how it is." Axel pushed him in return, nearly knocking Roxas over.

Once Roxas regained his balance, he pushed Axel powerfully, the two of them falling off the bench of the fountain, and landing on the ground. Luckily, Axel was there to break Roxas's fall.

"I underestimated you..." Axel lay beneath Roxas, pinned down. "...But, you won't get off that easily, Roxy ." He grinned, rolling Roxas off of him. He pinned his arms down, with his knees pinning Roxas's legs.

Roxas didn't even bother struggling; he wouldn't admit it to Axel, but he was enjoying this. He stared up at him, grinning.

Axel arched an eyebrow, keeping his hold on Roxas firm. "What're you looking at? Did I mess up my hair?" Panic spread across his face, but he didn't want to let go of Roxas to check.

Roxas laughed; it was amusing to see how Axel worried so greatly over his hair.

"No, no, your hair's fine."

Axel gave a sigh of relief, his grip loosening slightly. "Then what?" Axel's relief slowly faded into a confused expression. "You don't look at someone like that for nothing."

Roxas smiled softly, his gaze gentle. "I like you a lot, Axel."

Axel was touched by his confession, inwardly melting. Outwardly, he smirked. "I know you do."

Roxas shook his head, chuckling. "Not exactly the reply I was looking for."

Axel's smirk softened into a sincere smile. "You should know by now how I feel about you, Roxas."

"I do know." Roxas paused a moment, trying to think of the right words before continuing what he was saying. "But it'd still be nice to hear you say it."

Axel beamed, pressing his forehead gently against Roxas's. "I like you so much more than a lot."

Roxas smiled, his eyes gazing deeply into Axel's. "Much better."

Axel smiled once more in return before suddenly standing, taking hold of Roxas's hands and pulling him up directly after. His grip on one of the blonde's hands remained as he pulled him in the direction of the area's exit and toward The Castle That Never Was.

Roxas sighed, following. "Now where are you taking me? And why haven't you just made a portal to get us there?"

Axel laced their fingers together, swinging their hands slightly as they ambled. "Because it would mean less time holding hands with you."

Roxas beamed at Axel's statement, walking as closely beside him as he could without the both of them tripping over the other. He had nothing to say that could match Axel's words, so he just squeezed his hand instead. Thankfully, the redhead didn't mind the lack of a verbal response.

Both of them were more focused on who they were with, rather than where they were going. As a result, it made the trip seem far shorter than usual. It was only when they came to a halt and Roxas's eyes connected with the number on the bedroom door in front of him that he realized where they had even been headed.

He turned to Axel, confused. "Why are we here?"

Axel grinned, unlocking and twisting open the knob. "Because your room reeks of lifeless white walls."

Roxas shrugged. It wasn't like he was going to argue because, well, he just happened to agree. "Fine by me."

"Good. I'd hate to have had to kidnap you if you'd wanted to stay in your room," Axel teased, leading Roxas into the bedroom.

The blonde laughed, even though he had a feeling Axel actually meant it. He followed in after, their hands never disconnecting.

"What is with you and threatening to kidnap me?" Roxas questioned, only partially serious.

Axel grinned mischievously. "Who wouldn't want to kidnap you?"

Roxas sauntered further into the room; only briefly taking in the area surrounding him before turning his constant attention back to Axel. "Anyone sane?"

"Have you forgotten where you're living now?" Axel remarked as he sat down on his bed, patting the spot next to him.

"Must you remind me?" Roxas sat beside Axel without a second thought, gazing at him.

"Yes. Yes, I must. For you must suffer with me, in this dreadful place." The redhead gestured dramatically as he spoke. At one point he almost accidentally smacked Roxas in the face.

"Then leave," Roxas spoke suddenly, looking at Axel. "Let's leave."

Axel raised an eyebrow, inwardly questioning Roxas's sanity. "You serious?"

Roxas nodded, his face paved with sincerity. "I mean it more than anything -- I want out of here. But only if you'll come with me, wherever I end up. Anywhere instead of here."

Axel didn't really know what to say. He had always thought of leaving, but thinking and doing were completely different things.

"But what about the others? Aren't you worried they'll come after us?" Axel questioned, looking at Roxas.

"So? We can figure something out. As long as we have each other, who cares what happens?" Roxas clasped their hands together, squeezing softly. "Just think about it?"

Axel smiled. "I don't have to," he stated, squeezing Roxas's hand as well. "Once again, you should already know the answer."

Roxas nodded. Just the thought of leaving was making him feel strange inside -- giddy, almost. He was trying hard not to get his hopes up too high though. "So, when then? When can we leave?"

"Whenever we get the chance," Axel answered, his smile never leaving his face.

Roxas stared at Axel in wonder. He couldn't believe that he might actually be able to leave the Organization, let alone with Axel coming with him. For so long he had been waiting for a chance to escape, and now finally he was being given that opportunity. It felt great for him to know that soon enough, he wouldn't have to live the way he did. He wouldn't have to be afraid of anything anymore. He and Axel would be able to live their lives the way they truly wanted to.

As he was lost in his own thoughts, he suddenly noticed Axel wasn't sitting next to him any longer. Roxas blinked, turning his head. He didn't notice when Axel had laid down. When did he do that?

Axel was lying on the bed, his hands resting beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Apparently he too was thinking about escaping. Roxas turned completely toward Axel, a gentle smile caressing his lips. "Are we really going to leave?"

Axel chuckled, looking at Roxas. "Yes, Roxas. Soon."

Roxas returned Axel's smile, lying down on the bed.

Axel's smile grew when he noticed just how close Roxas had lain next to him. He was glad to see the blonde was finally starting to warm up to him. He would have been worried if he hadn't; they were together now, after all. "I wanna kiss you."

Roxas blinked, sitting himself up on his side, staring down at Axel. "Since when do you ask?" _If you could call that asking. _

"Because I felt like it." Axel wrapped his arms around Roxas, pulling the younger boy on top of himself. "Now, where's my kiss?" He beamed, clearly enjoying toying with Roxas.

Roxas smiled. "Of course."

As their lips were only inches apart from connecting, a sudden disturbance outside the door caused them to practically jump apart. Immediately after the crash in the hallway, Demyx ran barging into the room, announcing his joyous achievement.

"I KISSED A GIRL!" He shouted, dancing up and down.

Axel groaned, face-palming. He had no idea what Demyx was talking about. "What girl? Larxene? Right."

Demyx ignored Axel's remark, continuing his announcement. "AND I LIKED IT!" He grinned, spinning around in circles by the doorway.

Roxas arched an eyebrow. "What?" He was just as confused as Axel was. But then again, with Demyx, no one ever what he was talking about. Not even himself, usually.

Axel stuck up his thumb, his expression casual and his tone sarcastic. "Good for you."

Demyx beamed, spreading his arms in delight. "I know!"

Axel smiled mockingly. "I'm sure you do."

Demyx nodded his head fervently, while Roxas shook his own.

"So, Demyx," Axel glared subtly at Demyx, crossing his arms.

"Yes!" The birdbrain exclaimed.

"Give us some alone time, hm?" Axel asked, hoping he'd take the hint.

Demyx shrugged, hugging himself as he skipped out of the doorway. You could hear the faint cries of his singing echoing down the hall as he moved further and further away from Axel's room.

In the near distance, Axel and Roxas could clearly hear Larxene screaming at Demyx to cease the painful act of his singing. It did nothing more than wake several grumpy Organization members from their naps, which Larxene and Demyx would surely pay for doing later.

Axel grinned slyly in Roxas's direction, causing the younger boy to shift uncomfortably. The look in Axel's eyes was familiar enough that Roxas knew exactly what the redhead was thinking about, and still caused him to be embarrassed just at the thought of it.

"So, uh," Roxas spoke, snapping Axel out of his dream-like state. "Why did you ask Demyx to leave?"

"You'd think the answer was obvious." Axel scooted closer to Roxas.

"I... just wanted to make sure was all." Roxas flushed, his shyer side appearing again.

Axel placed his hand over Roxas's, giving him a sly look. He hoped his look said it all. "Don't you, y'know... want to?"

"Want to... what?" Roxas stuttered. He knew exactly what was going on in Axel's mind, but he still hoped he was wrong.

Axel rolled his eyes, moving in closer to the blonde. "Come on, don't play dumb with me."

Roxas automatically moved slightly away from Axel, feeling awkward under his gaze. He really didn't like the look in his eyes; it was unfamiliar and, frankly, a bit unnerving.

"I-I'm not..." Roxas admitted. He eventually fell into a corner; Axel had chased him that far down the bed.

"Come on, Roxas," Axel grinned, gently cupping Roxas's chin and pulling his face closer. "Don't you think we've waited long enough?"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah you know it and we know it already. **_

**A/N: The last chapter, guys! We can't believe it's done with now. Enjoy the last chapter and be sure to review if you ever want to see another fic by us again. xP**

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Roxas blamed his lack of experience in relationships and everything to do with them for not understanding what Axel was talking about right away. Several moments later, it clicked.

Roxas's eyes were wide, his face a cherry. "Axel... I'm not ready..."

Before Axel had a chance to say something, Roxas was halfway down the hallway. The redhead sat there for a moment, staring at the door. Just when he thought he had figured Roxas out, he immediately confused him again.

Axel simply sat there for a while, his face planted in his hands and the phrase 'I'm an idiot' repeatedly leaving his mouth. He should have known not to pressure Roxas even slightly -- it would, quite obviously, only push him away. Axel felt like nothing more than an insensitive moron at that moment, but he knew he had to get up and fix things. So he did.

Axel was dashing down the hallway, looking for some sign of Roxas. He should have gotten up sooner, but his guilt wouldn't let him. Where could he have gone? And just then, it came to him.

He looked in all directions first to make sure no one was around, and then made a portal. He walked into it slowly, looking around the area it had taken him to. Axel saw the familiar glimmer of Roxas's hair_. __I knew it. There he is._ Out of all the places he could have checked, Axel knew there was only one place Roxas would have gone to: their spot.

Axel gave a sigh of relief when Roxas didn't notice him come in. He didn't want to be noticed just yet. He merely stood in one place for some time, silently watching as Roxas stared up at the sky. Both of their minds were on the same subject; Axel continued putting himself down, and Roxas was considering that maybe he overreacted a bit. It was only when Axel saw that Roxas was beginning to shiver that he moved forward; without words, he wrapped his arms around the younger boy and lent him warmth.

Axel rested his chin against Roxas's shoulder, whispering softly in his ear. "I'm sorry..."

Roxas just smiled, turning his gaze to Axel. "It's okay. I overreacted."

Axel frowned. "But I came on too strong."

Roxas shook his head. "But I should have known better than to run away. Can we just forget this?"

It was Axel's turn to be clueless. "What?"

"Let's pretend that I had never ran out of the room." Roxas was still smiling, nuzzling Axel slightly.

Axel's expression immediately changed to one of contentment. "I guess I could do that."

Roxas smiled, turning his body around so he could fall into Axel's arms. No matter what stupid things either of them did, they always seemed to be able to work everything out. Or, in this case, simply forget about it.

They stared off into space for a while, just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't until Axel felt Roxas shiver once again that the silence was broken.

"You still cold?" Axel asked. He wore a look of concern upon his face.

Roxas nodded. "A little. Shall we go back to the castle?"

Axel smiled. "Of course." He gently took hold of Roxas's hand and pulled him up by his side, holding onto it even as he created a portal.

"You don't want to walk back this time?" Roxas questioned, a little disappointed; even though it would have meant he'd be out in the cold for a few more minutes than necessary, he liked the walk back to the castle. When Axel was with him, at least.

"Too much effort," Axel replied with a laugh, causing Roxas to roll his eyes at the redhead's laziness.

The portal led to the inside of Axel's room. They walked in, hand-in-hand, sitting back on the bed like they usually did.

It felt like there was only a few seconds of silence before there was a loud knocking on the door.

"If that's Demyx, I'm gonna smack him," Axel growled. He was irritated of being interrupted all the time. It was no wonder he wanted out of that place.

Roxas, however, doubted it was Demyx. He was never one to knock. But as Axel opened his bedroom door, he was proven wrong. There stood Demyx, grinning at Axel like the lunatic he was. It took a moment of Axel eyeing Demyx like he was a complete idiot -- and Roxas secretly doing the same -- before Demyx snapped out of whatever strange state he was in and revealed what he had come to Axel's room for.

"Xemnas wants to speak to you two, he said it's important," he informed, though with that same freakish grin still planted on his face.

Axel groaned, sighing deeply. "Alright."

Seeing as Demyx was still standing in front of them, even though he had told them what he'd come for, Axel decided to inquire about the odd behaviour Demyx had shown when he actually knocked on the door instead of barging in like he normally would.

"So, why did you knock?" Axel questioned.

"Because I could!" Demyx chirped. He spun around, leaving Axel's room and began skipping down the hallway.

"He's sane," Roxas remarked.

Axel groaned once again. He was glad that Demyx was out of his sight, but he didn't want to do whatever Xemnas was inevitably going to force him and Roxas to. The idea of freeing himself from the Organization was sounding more appealing every moment that passed.

Axel reached out his hand to Roxas, which the younger boy took. "Let's walk."

Roxas smiled, ambling along by Axel's side as they exited his bedroom. "I thought walking took too much effort?"

Axel smirked. "The longer I get to put off seeing Xemnas, the better."

Roxas nodded, silently agreeing. "What do you think he wants anyway?"

"Maybe we've done such a crappy job we're fired," Axel remarked, swinging Roxas's hand as they walked.

Roxas laughed. "Yeah, like he'd be that nice to us."

It wasn't long until they reached the audience chamber, where Xemnas often could be found. The walk was far too short for Axel's liking, but the sooner he and Roxas went in to see Xemnas, the faster it would be done with.

Axel's hand was on the knob of the door leading into the chamber. "Hopefully he really does fire us."

Roxas smiled slightly, nodding. "We can only hope."

Axel reluctantly opened the door. He glanced at Roxas before they walked in together. They were still hand-in-hand. Axel didn't care who knew about them, even Xemnas. The redhead was surprised that Roxas didn't seem to have any intention of letting go either.

The first thing both of them saw was the disgusted grimace painted on Xemnas's face. It may have been because of their affectionate hand-holding that caused it, or perhaps something different entirely. Either way, neither of them cared.

Axel arched an eyebrow at Xemnas's expression. "So. Boss. Whatcha want?"

Xemnas snarled, glaring at Axel. "Where have you two been?"

"Oh, you know. Around," Axel spoke, gesturing with his free hand.

Roxas frowned nervously. He didn't like how Axel was handling things.

Xemnas's eyebrows furrowed angrily. "You'll regret being so disrespectful, Number VIII."

Axel only smirked. Considering he and Roxas were planning on leaving the Organization as soon as they possibly could, he figured he might as well have a bit of fun before they did.

"Regret? What's that?" Axel was having fun messing with Xemnas. It was hard to know when to stop.

Xemnas growled. "Fine. I have a mission for you two."

Roxas continued to let Axel do the talking. Xemnas made him nervous. If he didn't have Axel holding onto him, Roxas feared his knees would give way. He was never one for standing up to people.

"Oh, do go on." Axel's eyes lit up. The idea of a mission intrigued him. Perhaps he could use it towards his and Roxas's advantage.

"I need you to go to Hollow Bastion and collect as many hearts as you can manage. I've sent everyone else on individual missions so you two are the only ones available for this."

Axel rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, _boss._ "

Roxas could practically see the rage in Xemnas's eyes. Axel's disrespect seemed to be getting to him.

"Just... get out of my sight. Don't come back until you think you have enough hearts. It just better be enough," he snarled. Xemnas was on his wits end. Axel was always driving him insane. He pointed towards the door, ordering them out.

Axel smiled a wide grin in Xemnas's direction before dragging Roxas out the door. Roxas couldn't figure out why Axel would be so rude to Xemnas; if he had gone any further in his remarks, Xemnas would have probably snapped.

"Hey, don't look so worried." Axel pulled Roxas from his thoughts. "We'll be out of here soon, and we won't have to deal with that anymore. I was just having a little fun."

"You sure?" Roxas asked, worry still clearly written all over his face.

"I'm sure," Axel reassured. "Now come on, let's get out of here."

"To Hollow Bastion, right?" Roxas recalled as he squeezed Axel's hand.

Axel created a portal, leading the blonde through it. "Hollow Bastion? I didn't hear Hollow Bastion." The portal closed behind them. "I think you mean Twilight Town."

Roxas gazed at Axel in shock. He was serious. Axel was really serious. Not that Roxas was complaining, but it was hard going against his nature. He was never one to defy authority, and frankly, Xemnas scared the crap out of him.

The portal took them straight to Twilight Town's tower -- it was almost a tradition for the two of them to go there. And now, maybe, they could go there as often as they liked.

Axel pulled Roxas over to himself, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and kissing the top of his head. Roxas snaked his own arms around Axel's waist and smiled into his chest. He finally felt truly happy.

"It's just us now, Sugarlips," Axel smirked with the use of Roxas's new nickname.

Roxas sighed, more out of amusement than frustration. "You really intend to use that name, don't you, Snickers?"

Axel laughed. It was a real laugh. He never felt that way before. He felt... free. He nuzzled Roxas, not saying a word.

Suddenly the silence that had taken over the area was interrupted by two birds flying past. Roxas stared up at them in awe, a smile instantly gracing his lips.

"Axel," he spoke, nudging his shoulder to get him to look upward.

Axel gazed up in the same direction as Roxas was, his expression matching the blonde's immediately.

Roxas sighed in contentment. "We're just like them now."

"Yeah... yeah, we are," Axel brought Roxas closer, his focus no longer on the birds. He cupped the blonde's cheek gently, simply gazing at Roxas.

Roxas was smiling, looking back at Axel. It was be impossible for him to not. He had an inkling that this was how things would always be from then on. They were no longer just numbers.

Even as a large flock of birds flew past them once again, their eyes were set only on each other. Axel brought Roxas's lips to his own, caressing them gently in a soft kiss. Roxas's eyes closed as he smiled and fell into Axel's arms.

Axel pulled away from Roxas to utter the three words he never thought he would. He smiled lovingly, his hand reaching to push the hair from the blonde's eyes. "...I love you, Roxas."

Roxas's eyes widened in utter surprise. A pleasant surprise at that. His smile grew wider. "I... I love you too, Axel," the blonde leaned forward to rest his forehead against his boyfriend's.

Axel moved in once more to kiss Roxas, this time for a long while. For once, things were working in their favour, and they knew they would continue to. Who said nobodies didn't have hearts? What they had was the real thing – they knew it.


End file.
